Workout Precautions

Working out can be a dangerous feat if not done correctly. You can hurt yourself in a number of ways, such as misusing a machine, pushing your body past its limits or not being properly equipped. Knowing what you’re doing and being prepared for your exercise can help you stay safe and avoid injuries.

To reduce risk of injury during your workout, there are some general precautions to take. Staying hydrated is essential for your body’s performance. Be sure to drink water before and during exercise to avoid dehydration and fatigue. It’s not just important to drink before exercise, but to eat as well. While it may not be good to eat right before exercising, it’s important to have something in your stomach to give you energy. Working out when hungry could reduce your stamina, making you feel weak and exhausted much more quickly. Eating around two hours before exercising is ideal.

Also be sure to have the proper equipment for your workout and to dress appropriately for your environment. Dress warm in cold temperatures to avoid getting sick and don’t overdress in warmer temperatures to avoid heat stress. Wearing proper shoes for exercising is important to absorb shock and reduce the chance of accidents. If your sneakers are getting old, get new ones. When you encounter a machine or workout equipment that you've never used before, read the instructions or ask someone how to use it, as mis-using them is potentially harmful.

It’s important to exercise properly as to not over-stress your body. Spending a couple of minutes warming up and cooling down can go a long way in injury prevention. Warming up before exercising serves to raise your body temperature and blood flow, increasing the flexibility of muscles and tendons and therefore helping avoid muscle tears and pulls. Cooling down is needed to bring your heart rate down steadily and pump blood to the heart. Failure to cool down will cause your blood to stay in your legs rather than return to the heart, causing dizziness, nausea and fatigue. Don’t push yourself. It’s wise to know your capabilities and work up gradually in the time and intensity of your workout. Stretching after a workout and keeping hydrated reduces the chance of cramping up.

Listen to your body. If you feel pain, weakness, light-headedness or any other signals of discomfort, don’t ignore it. Take a break and let yourself recover. Exercise is great for you, but pushing your body to do something it’s objecting against could lead to injuries that’ll harm more than help. Take precautions and be wary to stay safe and healthy during your exercise routine.

Best Wishes on your weight loss or healthy living journey from all of us at Element Fitness!

Want to know more? Read more!

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Exercise_injury_prevention

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/injuryprevention/a/safe-workouts.htm

http://k2.kirtland.cc.mi.us/~balbachl/wupcdwn.htm

Cancer-Fighting Foods via FoodNetwork.com

From dark leafy greens to citrus, find out what foods can fight off cancer causing toxins via this great article on FoodNetwork.com!









"Researchers believe that 60 percent of cancer deaths can be prevented by adopting a healthier lifestyle. Start with your diet: Work these 8 cancer-fighting foods into your daily routine....."Read More...

The Benefits of Martial Arts Training

Though the exact origin is unknown, martial arts have been around for thousands of years. Today, hundreds of different techniques and styles exist all over the globe from Capoeira in Brazil to Kalarippayattu in southern India. Though the various schools of martial arts have evolved over the generations, their purpose remains the same: to use self defense as a vehicle to better one's mind, body, and spirit. Martial arts can help you to become a physically and psychologically healthier person, and here are a few ways how.


Physical Health
Martial arts training can be very physically strenuous depending on the style and the teacher. In kick boxing, the kicking motion is used as a conduit for an intense cardiovascular workout. Proper breathing technique is emphasized in all styles of martial arts. Students learn to exercise on a regular basis which is about the healthiest habit one can form.


Discipline
If you’re a couch potato by nature and you want to learn how to be more productive, martial arts is a great place to start. Persevering through the levels of belts which become exponentially harder to obtain teaches sticktoitiveness and gives students a feeling of real accomplishment. This carries over into the students life outside of the dojo. A kid who studies martial arts is probably also going to excel elsewhere in life, such as school.


Confidence
Of course learning to defend one's self is empowering and confidence building, but martial arts can help cultivate confidence in many other ways. So often we send subconscious messages with improper posture. Martial arts emphasizes correct body posture and teaches students to carry themselves with pride and dignity. Confidence also comes with increased physical fitness.

Yoga-nna Love It: 5 Reasons To Try Yoga Today!

For thousands of years, Yoga has been used to calm the mind, enrich the spirit, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Yoga can be done nearly anywhere and with minimal equipment. Its physical and psychological health benefits are innumerable as yoga has been shown to increase concentration, promote better breathing, improve posture, tone muscles and improve mind-body awareness. Here are some ways that yoga can help you be a better you!

Flexibility

Yoga is obviously all about flexibility. We’ve all seen pictures of master yogis performing seemingly impossible feats of strength and flexibility which may appear intimidating to the beginner, but the truth is that no matter how inflexible you are, yoga will help you increase range of motion in your joints. Keeping limber is a great way to ward off injuries such as pulled muscles. It also helps relax muscles which can reduce the risk or effects of lower back pain.

Breathing

In yoga, there is much emphasis put on the importance of breathing. As an extremely important bodily function (obviously) it is worthwhile to learn to breath in the most effective manner possible. In most forms of yoga, one is taught to lengthen and deepen their breath which can improve lung capacity. Learning to be a better breather will not only help you in your yogatistical endeavors, but also in any other cardiovascular exercises you might be doing.

Strength

Yoga is always relaxing, but often times it can be very physically strenuous. Almost every yoga position (if practiced correctly) increases core abdominal strength, others focus more directly on triceps, biceps, hamstrings, quadriceps, etc. Increased strength can mean more toned muscles and greater endurance which brings us to my next point.

Posture

With greater range of motion, and increased core strength, good posture (correct alignment of the spine) is more easily maintained for extended periods of time. Over the years, gravity tends to take a toll on most people which causes them to slouch, hunch and slump. Inevitably, detrimental habits are formed. Yoga can help to reteach your body good posture to eliminate back pain.

Psychological

Yoga is proven to reduce stress dramatically due to the release of hormones such as endorphins and oxytocin and reduced levels of hormone neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. This leaves the body with a sense of calm and tranquility. Yoga also emphasizes meditative techniques which can improve one's ability to concentrate effectively over long periods of time. There is also speculation that yoga can help those afflicted by depression and other psychological disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Get out there, give yoga a try and see how it can help you achieve your goals.

*Do you have an idea for an article, have questions or need advice? Please write us at elementfitnessny@gmail.com! Subject: Blog

Fresh Feast via Self.com!

Eating healthy in the summer can be difficult. BBQ's, trips to the beach, cocktails, vacation -- all these fun summer activities can help you pack on the pounds.

Take a cue from Self Magazine. This great article is from people who "know". Dishes crafted from chefs who grow their own -- and great tips on what ingredients you can look out for at a local farmer's market for gorgeous and ripe fruits and vegetables.

Recipes in the article include: Farro and Pine Nut Tabbouleh, Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, Spicy Grilled Tuna with Garden Salsa and Grilled Lamb Loin with Tomato and Cucumber Raita and Israeli Couscous. All so deliciously good and good for you!

Click to see these "Fresh Feast" recipes via Self Magazine Online!!